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Lawyers fighting SJSU over volleyball scandal respond to federal Title IX probe findings

EXCLUSIVE: Multiple lawyers representing women affected by the San José State University (SJSU) volleyball scandal have responded to findings of a federal investigation into the incident.Part of the findings from the investigation, published by Fox News Digital on Wednesday, reveal new details of how the school handled allegations against a trans athlete of plotting to have a teammate harmed during a match, the initial recruitment of the trans athlete without allegedly disclosing the player's birth sex to other players and "silencing dissent" after the scandal went public.SJSU and the California State University system (CSU) are also currently suing the U.S. Department of Education over the investigation into the school's handling of a transgender volleyball player and female teammates from 2022-24.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMAttorney Bill Bock is representing former SJSU player Brooke Slusser and 10 other players from the Mountain West Conference in a Title IX lawsuit against SJSU and the CSU over the scandal."The findings made by the U.S. Department of Education are consistent with the facts courageously brought forward two years ago in a federal court complaint by Brooke Slusser and other women volleyball players against the California State University Board of Trustees and the Mountain West Conference, including that San Jose State University violated Title IX and discriminated against women by allowing a man to participate on the SJSU women’s volleyball team, San Jose State University joined in silencing dissent about the man participating on its women’s volleyball team, and San Jose State University condoned retaliation against Brooke Slusser," Bock told Fox News Digital."Brooke and her fellow women volleyball players continue to fight for justice in federal court and are very encouraged that SJSU’s discrimination against them has been substantiated by the U.S. Department of Education’s investigation."WHO IS BLAIRE FLEMING? SJSU VOLLEYBALL PLAYER DOMINATING FEMALE RIVALS AND ENRAGING WOMEN'S RIGHTS GROUPSAttorney Vernadette Broyles is representing former SJSU assistant coach Melissa Batie-Smoose in a wrongful termination lawsuit, after Batie-Smoose spoke out against the school for its handling of the situation, and later did not have her contract renewed."The U.S. Department of Education’s findings confirm what Coach Batie-Smoose witnessed firsthand: female athletes were kept in the dark, their legitimate concerns about safety and fairness were ignored, and those who spoke up were threatened and silenced," Broyles told Fox News Digital."Melissa was punished for doing what Title IX requires: standing up for the female athletes she coached. SJSU’s decision to sue the Trump administration rather than fix the problem and come into compliance with Title IX shows they still refuse to accept that biological males do not belong in women’s sports. We are proud to represent Melissa in holding CSU accountable."Fox News Digital has reached out to SJSU, the CSU and the Mountain West Conference for a response.California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton responded to a question about SJSU and the CSU's lawsuit against the Education Department in an interview with Fox News Digital on Friday, prior to publication of the recent findings."This is what's going right across the board in California. You've got common sense positions being moved forward by the Trump administration, whether that's on this issue, whether it's on antisemitism, and all these things and you've got the far-left ideologues in California wasting public money, fighting against common sense. It’s completely ridiculous, we’re done with this," Hilton said when asked about SJSU suing to block the Trump administration's Title IX investigation findings."That's why we're going to kick these Democrats out this year. We just gotta have common sense that aligns with the majority of people in California."Fox News Digital obtained the Education Department's written findings of its Title IX investigation into SJSU in 2025 and 2026. The findings were provided by SJSU in response to a public records request.Most individuals referenced in the findings are identified only by anonymous titles. However, the findings refer to these individuals in circumstances that Fox News Digital has reported on in the past, and based on previous reporting, Fox News Digital reasonably believes those individuals to be SJSU volleyball head coach Todd Kress (Coach 2), Batie-Smoose (Coach 3), transgender former player Blaire Fleming (Student 1), and Slusser (Student 3).Other SJSU players and staff are also identified by anonymous titles, but Fox News Digital is not identifying them by name, currently.The findings went on to allege that it was "undisputed" that "there was a plan discussed to injure" Slusser, led by Fleming."It is disputed whether Students 1 and 9 actually followed through with the plan to injure Student 3, or whether the discussion was meant as a joke. What is undisputed, however, is that there was a plan discussed to injure Student 3, and that plan to injure Student 3 was discussed by Student 1 and Student 9 in the presence of two other San José State University teammates," the findings state.The findings later stated, "To silence dissent, ‘scare tactics’ were used. The women on the team were told they needed to be careful of what they said because they all signed a contract and could lose their scholarships. That threat made several members of the team afraid to speak out. Student 10 said that at one point, Coach 2 told the team to be careful regarding how they act with regard to Student 1."FORMER SJSU VOLLEYBALL STAR OPENS UP ON LIVING WITH TRANS TEAMMATE WITHOUT KNOWING ATHLETE'S BIOLOGICAL SEXThe findings also outlined alleged interactions between Kress and Batie-Smoose regarding the handling of Fleming."Coach 3 states she was specifically instructed by Coach 2 and the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student Wellness and Leadership Development to not tell anyone either on the team or off the team that Student 1 is male. Coach 3 states she was also told ‘anyone who disagrees with [Student 1] being on the women’s volleyball team needs to get therapy and needs to leave SJSU,’" the findings state.Bock and Slusser's lawsuit against SJSU and CSU initially survived motions to dismiss back in early March, as federal judge Kato Crews deferred ruling on Title IX claims against the defendants until after a U.S. Supreme Court decision on a trans athlete in West Virginia.The ruling is expected this month, and may set a new precedent on how Title IX is interpreted nationally.The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which is representing the "Save Women's Sports" defendants in the Title IX SCOTUS cases expected to be determined this month, previously addressed the potential ripple effect the ruling could have."We hope the ruling from the Supreme Court will affirm that Title IX was designed to guarantee equal opportunity for women, not to let male athletes displace women and girl in competition. It is crucial that sports be separated by sex for not only the equal opportunity of women but for safety and privacy. Title IX should protect women’s right to compete in their own sports. Allowing men to compete in the female category reverses 50 years of advancement for women," ADF Vice President of Litigation Strategies Jonathan Scruggs told Fox News Digital.

Sherpa missing for a week on Everest found crawling toward base camp after his family begins funeral rites

A Sherpa guide whose family had already begun funeral rituals after he vanished on Mount Everest was found alive and crawling toward base camp nearly a week later, surviving alone on the world's highest peak without food, water or supplemental oxygen in what rescuers called "nothing short of a miracle."Dawa Sherpa, 52, disappeared around May 29 while descending Everest after turning back short of the summit with a Polish climber he was guiding. The client made it safely to base camp, but Dawa had not, triggering fears that he had died on the mountain.A cleanup crew from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee found him Thursday morning crawling through the treacherous Khumbu Icefall, one of the most dangerous sections of Everest, just above base camp, Pemba Sherpa of 8K Expeditions told The Associated Press.Rescuers carried him to safety, gave him food and water, and flew him by helicopter to a hospital in Kathmandu, where his wife and daughter were waiting.LONE SURVIVOR RESCUED AFTER FATAL FALL KILLS THREE CLIMBERS ON MOUNT MCKINLEYBy that point, his family had already lost hope.His teenage daughter, Mendo Lhamu Sherpa, told the outlet that relatives were in the middle of funeral rites when news of the rescue broke."When we first heard about it (the rescue), we could not be sure if that person was indeed our father," she said. "So to be certain we asked for photos to be sent and then only we were sure and very happy."His wife, Damu Sherpa, added that the family learned he was alive through local news reports and phone calls from friends."We first heard that he was still alive on the local news and from a person we know who called with the news that ... he is being brought down," she said.RESCUERS FREE CLIMBER TRAPPED BENEATH 16,000-POUND BOULDER ON OREGON'S MOUNT HOOD IN COMPLEX OPERATIONDawa was still wearing his climbing jacket when rescuers found him. His family said he is being treated for frostbite and other complications but is conscious and able to speak."He recognized me … is good and speaks," his daughter told Reuters. "We are happy."The Nepal Mount Everest hiking company called his survival extraordinary."Dawa survived alone for nearly a week without food, water, or supplemental oxygen navigating the treacherous Khumbu Icefall (even after the fixed ladders were removed for the season)," the company said in a social media post. "This is nothing short of a miracle."It was unclear how Dawa became separated from his client during the descent or why there was a delay in launching a search team when he went missing last week. Helicopters were eventually dispatched but failed to locate him.His rescue came at the end of a record-breaking Everest climbing season. More than 1,000 climbers and guides reached the summit this year after Nepal issued a record 494 permits.Officials have said five climbers and guides died on Everest during the season, according to Reuters.The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Jeff Foxworthy pulls back the curtain on comedy's creative process for what could be his last special

For what he says may be his last stand-up special, comedy icon Jeff Foxworthy is bringing back some of the material audiences know best while showing fans a side of his act they have never seen.Foxworthy’s new streaming special, "The Joke's On Me," now available on Fox Nation, is not a traditional hour of stand-up. The veteran comedian told Fox News Digital he wanted the project to pull back the curtain on the craft, following him as he tests jokes in clubs and showing the work that goes into composing an hour of comedy.Talking to "Fox & Friends" on Monday, the comic hinted about his new special’s possible finality: "I'm not saying I would quit doing stand-up. It's just a lot of work to do a special. And I'd rather hang out with my grandkids."MARK NORMAND SAYS LATE NIGHT IS 'DYING' — HOW THE STAND-UP COMIC KEEPS UP IN A CHANGING COMEDY SCENEThe legendary comic said he wasn't interested in doing another special unless he could showcase the intensive process that results in the polished hour audiences see on television. He said he was shocked when Fox Nation agreed and delighted to bring his act back to smaller clubs."There's just something about that beer smell. I spent so many years in them," Foxworthy said. "And it's when I'm working on new stuff — I never do it in a big place. It's always a little place. Because stand-up is intimate."He told Fox News Digital he loves receiving live feedback from spectators. They seemed to have fun shaping his routine, too."I want the audience actively involved in it," Foxworthy said. "I'm talking to them, 'Is that funny? Is it not funny?' And I've had a lot of people that were there for one of those nights that said later, 'This was probably my favorite night of stand-up, because I got to be a part of it.'""I wasn't just receiving," he continued. "I'm watching you thinking, 'How do I make this better?'"The idea came to him while watching a Beatles documentary that showed the band working through songs before performing them. Rather than cheapening the reveal of the final product, Foxworthy found that following the creative evolution actually "enriched it.""I got teary-eyed," he said, and realized he had never seen something like it in the realm of comedy, which takes more work than many viewers realize. He wanted to show "what goes on behind the curtain," warts and all."I have loved this craft so much. I want this to be a love letter to stand-up comics," he said.FROM SOUTHERN CLUBS TO NETFLIX: HOW CLEAN COMIC DERRICK STROUP IS STOPPING AUDIENCES IN THEIR TRACKSThe comedic process is less glamorous than it may seem, according to Foxworthy."If you do it well, it looks like you just walked on stage and thought of it that day. Which works in the break room when you have shared experience and history with each other, but when you're on stage, you're in front of strangers."You don't have that. You have to work it. You have to be efficient at it."The funnyman’s most famous joke helped him hone those skills.Foxworthy is known for his "You might be a redneck if…" jokes, which have led to dozens of books and innumerable laughs. He estimates he has written more than 9,000 of them, he previously told Fox News."The redneck jokes helped me to be efficient as a writer because I had to create an entire joke in one sentence, because they were one-liners," which Foxworthy described as a lost art.They taught him which words are important and which are extraneous, helping him to hone his delivery, he said."It all starts with the writing, right? I never think about the performance part of it, but I always think about the writing part."JERRY SEINFELD REVEALS HOW 'CLEAN' COMEDY FORCES HIM TO BE A MORE 'ELEGANT,' FUNNIER WRITERWhen it comes to ideation, Foxworthy said he finds material in his own backyard — or his living room, or his kitchen, or his bedroom.He realized that if his own family said or did something peculiar others were likely thinking and doing the same things."We’re not as unique as we think we are," he said, adding that he enjoys hearing from audiences who find his act relatable.For Foxworthy, hearing audience members say, "It’s like you’ve been in our house!" is the highest compliment.Over time, he’s tuned his brain to "grab" funny situations, which he jots down on a few notecards he keeps in his back pocket or in his phone.He still writes all his material longhand, he told Fox News Digital, because "there’s something in the creative process." He read long ago that you retain information better by writing it down than by typing it on a keyboard.But what’s "fascinating" to Foxworthy is that, even after a storied career, he still can’t predict exactly what will land with an audience."I just trust the audience is right. They're going to tell you what's funny, and that's part of what keeps it interesting, is trying to figure that out."WITH 10 KIDS AT HOME, COMEDIAN KOUNTRY WAYNE SAYS REAL LIFE WRITES THE JOKESFoxworthy has sold millions of copies of books, launched a board game called "Relative Insanity," and hosted the beloved game show, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" The proud Georgian is a veritable titan in his industry.He has enjoyed the challenges of bringing his humor to different mediums, including television, radio, print and now streaming. But Foxworthy is clear about which passion is his greatest."If you ever held a gun in my head and said, ‘You can't do but one thing,’ it would be stand-up.""It's me and a microphone, and can I find these things that are relatable enough to this room full of strangers that they are going to have a good time, that they are going to laugh — hopefully at themselves before it's over."That connection with audiences is what keeps Foxworthy in the game, he said, along with comedy’s power to remind people what they have in common."Through stand-up, I've been to just about every part of all 50 states. And what I've learned is, no matter where you sit politically, if you sat people down, and you just said, ‘Hey, what do you want out of life?’ I bet we would agree on 85% of the same things," Foxworthy said.He said Americans often focus too much on what divides them instead of the things they share."You don't want everybody to be alike. How boring would that be? But hell, let's celebrate the things that we have in common," Foxworthy said."It's that common humanity that makes us respond well in times of trouble, right?" he added. "And when you get to know people, even from different cultures of different cities and states, you find out, oh, hell, we're not as different as I thought we were."

Are humanoid robots now coming for retail jobs?

Humanoid robots just got another real job. This time, they are clocking in behind the scenes at a major retail operation. Figure AI has signed a commercial agreement with Catalyst Brands. That is the company behind JCPenney, Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand and Nautica.The first rollout begins at Catalyst's Reno, Nevada Distribution Logistics Center. So, no, these robots are not greeting shoppers or folding jeans in the store aisle. At least not yet.For now, they are heading into warehouse and supply chain work. Still, the announcement has some people worried. Many see humanoid robots entering a workplace and immediately wonder what happens to human jobs. That concern is fair.THE AI-POWERED ROBOT ARMY THAT PACKS YOUR GROCERIES IN MINUTESCatalyst Brands says Figure's humanoid robots will help with supply chain work. The companies say the robots will focus on repetitive, physically demanding sorting and packing tasks. In other words, this starts with warehouse work that can wear people down over time. The robots will first assist with Catalyst's Joey Pouch sorting system in Reno. That system helps with computerized induction, sorting and packing inside the facility. Catalyst says the Reno site also underwent a $40 million infrastructure update in 2024."As we invest in and scale our portfolio, this collaboration with Figure shows how emerging technologies can modernize our operations while strengthening our workforce," said Marc Rosen, CEO of Catalyst Brands. "When we automate routine tasks, our associates can focus on higher-value work and better serve our customers across all our brands."So, this is happening behind the scenes in the warehouse, not on the store floor. That detail is important, especially because some online reactions made it sound like robots were already headed into retail stores. The announcement points to warehouse operations first. Still, warehouse jobs are real jobs. That is why this deal is getting so much attention.Catalyst Brands owns several major retail brands and operates a large retail network. Figure AI also describes this as a step toward deploying humanoid robots at scale, even though it has not said how many robots will be used.There is also a financial connection behind the scenes. Brookfield is an investor in Figure AI and also has a stake in Catalyst Brands. Figure says this is the first commercial bridge between Figure and a Brookfield portfolio company.If the robots perform well in Reno, the companies could look for more ways to use them across the business.AI LAYOFFS MAY BE BACKFIRING ON COMPANIESThe announcement leaves out several key details. We do not know how many robots Figure AI will deploy. We do not know the exact start date. We also do not know whether Catalyst is buying the robots, leasing them or using a robots-as-a-service model. The companies have also not said how many human roles could change because of the rollout.Figure AI says the robots are being integrated into Catalyst's distribution facility and will focus on physically demanding work. However, the release does not spell out the exact jobs the robots will handle day to day.That missing information gives people room to worry. It also gives people room to guess. And online, people did both. Some thought humanoid robots were coming straight into stores. Others focused on the bigger fear, which is that robots could take over jobs that people depend on.The fear around this deal goes beyond one company. Workers have already watched companies use AI to cut costs, slow hiring and reorganize teams. Now, physical robots are entering spaces where people lift, sort, pack and move products. That feels different.Figure AI and Catalyst say the robots can handle routine tasks and help associates shift toward higher-value work. That sounds promising. However, workers may hear a very different message. They may wonder who gets retrained. They may also wonder who gets replaced. Companies cannot brush off those concerns. If humanoid robots are coming into more workplaces, workers deserve clear answers.JOBS THAT ARE MOST AT RISK FROM AI, ACCORDING TO MICROSOFTWarehouse work can be tough on the body. People lift boxes, move products, repeat the same motions and race to keep up when orders spike. That is why retail companies are looking hard at automation.Figure's pitch is that humanoid robots can fit into places already built for people. They do not need a warehouse rebuilt from scratch. In theory, they can step into certain jobs and help with repetitive work.For a retailer, that could mean products move faster, and workers face less physical strain. It could also help during busy shopping seasons, when distribution centers get slammed.The next big signal will be whether Catalyst expands the robot program beyond Reno. A small rollout may be a learning test. A wider deployment would point to a much larger shift in how retailers move products.Watch for details on robot count, job duties and worker impact. Those specifics will tell us more than anything else. Also, pay attention to how companies talk about employees. If they say robots will help workers move into better roles, they should explain exactly how that will happen. Workers deserve more than buzzwords.These robots may start in a warehouse, but the ripple effect could eventually reach workers, shoppers and prices.For shoppers, the upside is easy to see. If robots help move products faster, stores may have fewer empty shelves. Online orders could also move through warehouses more quickly.For workers, it gets more complicated. Companies often say robots will take over the hardest tasks so people can move into better roles. That sounds good, but workers need more than a promise. They need training. They need clear answers. They also need to know whether a robot is there to help them or replace them.And for the rest of us, this raises a bigger question. Are we comfortable with retailers using humanoid robots if it makes shopping faster or cheaper? Or do we want companies to prove that people are still part of the plan?Figure AI's deal with Catalyst Brands shows how quickly humanoid robots are entering our workplaces. For now, these robots are starting in a distribution center. They are not walking through the aisles at JCPenney. That distinction is important. Still, the bigger concern remains. People want to know whether these machines will help workers or slowly push them aside. Automation can reduce hard physical work. It can also create real fear when companies avoid direct answers. Humanoid robots may soon become a normal part of warehouse operations for retailers. The real test will be whether companies use them in a way that helps people, instead of treating people like a cost to cut.Would you shop with a retailer that uses humanoid robots in its warehouses, or would that make you think twice? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportCopyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

Kyle Busch's 11-year-old son takes big step in racing world nearly two weeks after his dad's stunning death

Brexton Busch, the 11-year-old son of NASCAR legend Kyle Busch, returned to the racetrack Tuesday for the first time since his dad's death nearly two weeks ago.Busch ran practice laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway ahead of the CookOut Summer Shootout, a Legend Car Series race. Kyle Busch, 41, died unexpectedly late last month after a battle with pneumonia turned into sepsis.A private memorial was held for Busch on Tuesday afternoon. The family announced that a public memorial would take place later this year."On behalf of the Busch family, everyone at Richard Childress Racing and all of NASCAR, we are devastated to announce the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch," the family said in a statement following Busch's death on May 21.TWO-TIME NASCAR CUP SERIES CHAMPION KYLE BUSCH TRAGICALLY DIES AT 41 AFTER HOSPITALIZATION"Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch. A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans."Busch was a two-time Cup champion and undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer. He'd been in the Cup Series since 2004, making 762 career starts with 63 wins. The 41-year-old won the championship in 2015 and 2019, and had 234 victories across all three NASCAR national series.Busch is the all-time record-holder for wins in both the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (102) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (69). Busch's 234th and final NASCAR win came at Dover one week before his death, when he led 147 laps in a dominating Truck Series victory. One day after his death, car owner Richard Childress told reporters that RCR would suspend the use of Busch's No. 8 until Brexton is eligible to use it."Richard Childress Racing has elected to suspend use of the No. 8 and will run the No. 33 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and beyond," the team said in a statement. "Kyle Busch was instrumental in the design of RCR’s stylized No. 8, and it has become synonymous with Kyle and an important symbol for his fans and the NASCAR industry. No one can carry it forward to the level that he did."The No. 8 is reserved and ready for Brexton Busch when he is ready to go NASCAR racing."Brexton, 11, has been an up-and-coming racer for some time now. In recent years, Kyle had spent much of his own racing season following Brexton around during the week.Samantha Busch is among the most active of the drivers' wives on social media, and has spent several years now documenting life with both Kyle and Brexton racing.Earlier this year, Brexton raced against his dad for the first time at the Tulsa Shootout.The age limit to race in the NASCAR Cup Series is 18. Brexton would, however, be eligible to race in the Truck Series when he turns 16.

Jill Biden tells memoir critic, 'Say it to my face, buddy'

Former first lady Jill Biden pushed back on Democratic critics of her memoir who say the book needlessly dredges up controversies from the 2024 election.Biden made the comment during an event promoting her book, "View from the East Wing," in New York City on Wednesday. She was asked specifically about comments from former Biden White House spokesman Andrew Bates, who said of her book, "I don’t see why that painful conversation for the party needed to be publicly reopened right now," according to the New York Post."I want to say to Andrew: Call me up, and say it to my face, buddy," Biden responded, going on to argue that her book had only "one chapter on politics."Biden then discussed the 2024 election more generally, touching on everything from former President Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance that June to her own thoughts about the aging president's decision to run again.INSIDE JILL BIDEN'S POLITICAL RISE AMID HER HUSBAND'S COGNITIVE DECLINE: BOOKShe argued she would have been honest with her husband had she seen his condition prior to the debate, but she said she wasn't there for his debate preparations."I was out campaigning," she said. "So I didn’t see him at debate camp at Camp David.""I never wanted to see that moment again in my life but since I’ve been doing press for two days, they’re like, ‘Watch this clip,’" she said.LIZ PEEK: BIDEN CANCER ANNOUNCEMENT HAS MY SYMPATHY AND MY SKEPTICISM"I saw Joe aging. My God, we all saw him aging," she admitted.Her comments came just a day after she made headlines during an interview on "The View" where she acknowledged that her husband would not have been able to serve another four years."The View" co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin asked Jill Biden if she thought her husband would have been in a good place to serve another four years in the White House."Well, not from what I know now," Biden said. "My God. Who knew? It was so shocking to get that cancer diagnosis. I mean, we had, you know, here I was, I’m looking through travel magazines like, ‘Oh, where are we going to go? What are we going to do,’ and then we get this cancer diagnosis and I think, what am I doing? Like, our whole life has changed now. It was just shocking."

Secret Signal chats reveal how anti-ICE agitators coordinated Newark riots

At 11:30 a.m. on June 3, an activation signal went out on social media calling protesters and agitators to swarm Delaney Hall, the Newark, N.J. ICE detention facility that has become one of the nation's most contentious immigration battlegrounds."CURFEW IS OVER. BACK TO DELANEY," read an Instagram post, promoted by a fiery collection of anti-Israel, Marxist and Democratic organizations — from "Palestine Solidarity Working Group" and Al-Awda to Indivisible and 50501 — that have joined tumultuous against the ICE, Newark police and New Jersey state troopers over the past couple of weeks.Within minutes, the call to action spread through secret groups on Signal, an encrypted messaging platform, activating hundreds of anti-ICE activists with secret monikers like "framed.unrest" and "Wicked Something," collaborating on transportation, logistics and supplies, like goggles, protections against pepper spray, respirators and protective knee pads.A Fox News Digital investigation, gathering information on the ground in Newark, in secret chat groups on Signal and from scores of tax filings, strategy documents and social media posts, reveals the protests outside Delaney Hall are no organic outpouring of spontaneous rage. They are the result of years of strategic planning by a network of well-funded, well-organized groups that have once again exploited a local controversy to wage a wider attack on federal immigration policies and the U.S. in general.The activities of this network have motivated a group of tech sleuths on the X — @Astrarce, @bitchuneedsoap and @gunshymartyr — to penetrate these groups, their Signal chats and their operations like a digital Avengers squad.BLUE STATE ICE FACILITY RAMPS UP SECURITY WITH NEW BARRICADES AMID CLASHES WITH PROTESTERSAccording to Fox News Digital's analysis, the network behind the Delaney Hall protests includes about 100 groups, some of them big names like the ACLU, Indivisible and Democratic Socialists of America. Together, these organizations report collective annual revenues of about $825 million, approximately equal to the annual budget of Newark. The groups didn't respond to requests for comment.About 70 of the groups have received special designations as charities by the IRS, have status as regular 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofits, as well as labor union 501(c)(5) and 501(c)(6) nonprofits, enjoying tax-deductible donations and certain tax-free benefits. In recent months, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Committee, the House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight Committee have launched investigations into the alleged abuse of nonprofit laws to instigate conflict, sow discord and even inspire political violence.The Delaneny network — which one expert calls the "Delaney Hall 100" — message around shared language assembled in a strategic communications document, called the "Delaney Hall Creator Brief," which Fox News Digital obtained from X user @b----uneedsoap. The strategy document directs content creators to call the detention center a "concentration camp" and label detainees "imprisoned prisoners" and "captives." It tells activists to eschew saying detainees were arrested, but rather assert they were "kidnapped/abducted/taken."Their tactics mirror the system deployed in Minneapolis earlier this year to protest ICE actions, and military experts say the operations resemble the tactics of an insurgency."We should be very concerned about the Delaney Hall 100," said Chuck Flint, a nonprofit expert and former U.S. Senate chief of staff. "Protests like the kind we're seeing outside Delaney Hall are not organic protests. These are manufactured strategic, calculated endeavors by an army of nonprofits meant to push subversive activity. These groups generate annual revenues greater than many of the cities in which they protest. They act like military battalions with the ability to overwhelm a city's public safety resources.""It's David vs. Goliath," said Flint, who is also a former state prosecutor.FOX NEWS DIGITAL ANALYSIS: HOW MINNEAPOLIS AGITATOR NETWORKS USE INSURGENCY TACTICS TO HINDER ICELast weekend, Fox News Digital spotlighted a series of far-left groups that self-identify as socialist, Marxist and communist blending in with immigrant groups. They included Democratic Socialists of America, the U.S. Revolutionary Communist Party, Speak Out Socialist, Refuse Fascism, Freedom Road Socialists Organization, Freedom Socialist Party and the Black Panthers.Fox News Digital observed tents stocked with respirators, goggles, protective pads, decontamination supplies and other protest-support equipment.Late last Saturday, controversial Marxist influencer Hasan Piker arrived at the protests for a quick walk-through, wearing a pink gas mask. He told Fox News Digital that he was there to advocate for the demands of the detainees inside, remaining on the scene for less than 30 minutes before driving off.Later, he responded to Fox News Digital's images of the tents filled with riot-gear provisions and called the supplies "mutual aid."The preparations for protests Wednesday night offer a window into how the organizations motivate, coordinate, mobilize, focus and discipline their foot soldiers.By 1:17 p.m., a user, "Pete InDC," shared a video outside the detention facility, with a car honking nonstop and "ICE OUT" drawn in chalk on Doremus Avenue."Come on down!" wrote "Pete InDC."AGITATORS OUTSIDE DELANEY HALL SET UP ORGANIZED LOGISTICS OPERATION BEFORE NEWARK PROTESTS BEGANAt 1:29 p.m., "yarrow" asked, "any car pools from nyc today? or any medics coming from nyc?"By 1:46 p.m., others asked if one of the main protest organizers, Cosesha, approved the protest, and yet others started organizing logistics, starting with the ordinary: food, drinks, bike racks, transportation, parking and tents, as if they were headed to a concert."Tamale" asked "so if we do go should we be bringing supplies or only rallying? do ppl need water."By 2:11 p.m., when "Durga" asked for others to "like" the message if they were on Doremus Avenue, another user — "tiny" — admonished "Durga," warning "please don't self id in the chat," adding "or ask others to."Often these organizations speak their own language, for example, compiling "otg" — or "on the ground" — intelligence.At 3:08 p.m., "Jay D" asked, "Is anyone otg and can give a report?"FEDERAL AGENTS IN NEW JERSEY BEAT BACK ANTI-ICE AGITATORS IN CHAOS OUTSIDE DELANEY HALL DETENTION FACILITYQuickly, the communications moved into a very serious preparation for a showdown with law enforcement authorities.By 4:07 p.m., "Mason D" offered to bring "sudecon wipes for help with pepper spray/tear gas attacks, multiple sets of protective pads for elbows/knees, electrolytes" and "non-ventilated goggles." Sudecon wipes are specialized decontamination towelettes designed to neutralize and remove chemical defense sprays like pepper spray and tear gas.Behind the scenes, months, or even years, of coordination precede these events. This past weekend's violent mobilization came after about a year of quieter activism by local groups.In late May, hundreds of detainees launched a hunger and labor strike, igniting a wider network of advocacy organizations, legal groups, faith leaders, community organizers, elected officials and national nonprofits that quickly mobilized around the facility.Within days, congressional delegations were demanding access, rapid-response networks were coordinating demonstrations across New Jersey, and the issue had become a national political story.Fox News Digital found that many of the organizations active today had spent years building coalitions, communications networks, funding relationships and rapid-response infrastructure before the current protests began.BLUE STATE POLITICAL BATTLE INTENSIFIES AFTER DEM MAYOR'S ARREST AT ICE FACILITY: 'OUTRAGED'The origins of the Delaney Hall 100 can be traced to February 2025 when GEO Group Inc., a federal contractor, said that it would reopen Delaney Hall in Newark as a federal immigration detention facility under a long-term contract with ICE. The facility, near Newark Liberty International Airport, had previously housed immigration detainees before closing in 2017.In April 2025, the City of Newark filed legal challenges against the reopening, arguing that the facility had begun operations without required permits and inspections. Democratic Mayor Ras Baraka publicly opposed the project and made Delaney Hall a central issue in his ongoing dispute with federal immigration authorities and private detention contractors.Around then, a small group of local activists began gathering outside the facility. According to accounts from participants, one activist started visiting Delaney Hall alone in the days before detainees arrived, distributing flyers to employees and raising concerns about immigration detention. Within days, two additional activists joined. What began as an informal vigil evolved into a regular presence outside the facility.DAVID MARCUS: DEMOCRATS OWN THE CHAOS AND RACISM AT NEW JERSEY ANTI-ICE RIOTSThose early gatherings became the foundation for what would later be known as "Eyes on ICE NJ."Throughout the spring and summer of 2025, the coalition expanded. Members of "NJ Peace Action," "Pax Christi New Jersey," "Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace," "First Friends of New Jersey and New York" and other faith and activist organizations began participating in regular vigils and support activities.The first major direct-action protest occurred on May 14, 2025, when clergy associated with Faith in New Jersey and several Unitarian Universalist congregations blocked the facility's main entrance.By the fall of 2025, multiple organizations had established an ongoing presence around the detention center.The movement surrounding Delaney Hall largely operates through three overlapping coalitions.The first, "Eyes on ICE NJ," grew from the daily vigils outside the facility. Its members focus on monitoring activity at the detention center, supporting visiting families, documenting conditions and maintaining a public presence outside the gates, engaging in narrative warfare, sharing family stories with the media, putting family members in front of microphones and giving lawmakers the constituent case studies to bolster their arguments with federal officials.The second, "ICE Out of NJ," functions as a broader mobilization and legislative campaign. It brings together immigrant-rights organizations, rapid-response networks, labor-aligned groups and direct-action activists to oppose detention expansion and immigration enforcement policies.The third, New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, functions as a coalition umbrella linking about 59 member organizations across the state. Its membership includes legal advocacy organizations, labor allies, immigrant-rights groups, faith-based organizations and community organizing networks.The result is a division of labor: one coalition specializes in observation, media outreach, community support and personal narratives, while the other concentrates on mobilization, political pressure and statewide organizing, and the other focuses on the immigration issue.Understanding the power of the Delaney Hall network requires following the nonprofit funding streams that sustain many of its major participants, including big Democratic donors like Open Society Foundations and NEO Philanthropies, that act as a source of support for some of the network's influential participants.SENATOR CALLS OUT ‘GRASSROOTS’ ANTI-ICE GROUPS, URGES DOJ INVESTIGATION INTO ‘COORDINATED NATIONAL OPERATION'During the Delaney Hall controversy, elected officials including Democratic Sen. Andy Kim, Sen. Cory Booker, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, Rep. LaMonica McIver, Rep. Rob Menendez and others have become highly visible participants in the debate. But the protesters have also turned on them, with Indivisible organizing a protest at Sherrill's office on Monday and Democratic Socialists of America demonstrating outside the offices of New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport on Tuesday.While Fox News Digital has been able to compile the list of organizations that make up the Delaney Hall 100, most of the network's work remains secretive."Most everything is concealed from the ground up to their identities in Signal chat rooms, their funding and names of the people on the streets and their leaders," said Flint, the nonprofit expert. "They know what they are doing is wrong. They don't want you to know who is in charge. They have masks on. They don't want you to know anything about their organizations, their people. They are flipping the rules. They shout to the ICE agents: 'You all are wearing masks.' Meanwhile, they are wearing masks.""They use nonprofit status as a sword and a shield," said Flint. "They use it to take advantage of all the rules and then when they get in trouble they use it to protect themselves."That tension has emerged in recent days as the protests have turned violent with more radical elements of the Delaney Hall 100 emerging with makeshift shields and swords.By 4:31 p.m., an anonymous Signal user, using the "sqeek" moniker, shared a "MEDIC DONATIONS" list that experts said resembled one that would be prepared for a military operation, often identified by the manufacturer and brand type, including: "3M 8246 respirators," six "Gas mask filters," "3M 60923," "Goggles — shatterproof, without vents or foam edges (ANSI 87.1 or MIL-PREF 32432).""Sqeek" punctuated the message with the emoji of a muscular flexed arm.On cue, agitators, many of them far-left white protesters clad in the black-and-white checkered Palestinian scarf called a keffiyeh, started trickling onto Doremus Avenue in front of Delaney Hall around 8 p.m. last night, sharing their commuting and parking woes in their Signal chat.At 9:42 p.m., one agitator, behind barriers, shouted, "This is what counterinsurgency looks like!"And then, at 9:47 p.m., as if reading off the communications strategy script, directing the groups to call Delaney Hall a "concentration camp," another protester yelled at the mostly minority Newark police officers and the other law enforcement authorities, her voice breaking: "You work for a concentration camp! You work for a concentration camp! Quit your job!""Kill yourself!" a man added, as the group broke into a chant, "Quit your job! Quit your job!"

Jared Verse admits he was initially unhappy after being traded from the Rams to the Browns

Jared Verse's family is from Dayton, Ohio, and his older sister still lives there and will be relatively close by, so the trade that sent Verse to the Cleveland Browns comes with benefits. But let's not kid ourselves, going from the Los Angeles Rams to the Browns wasn't welcomed news for Verse."I was upset for a good little bit of time," Verse revealed when he met with local reporters at the Browns' facility on Wednesday.Understandable.EX-RAMS STAR JARED GOFF SAYS HE WAS BLINDSIDED BY TRADE TO LIONS: 'REAL TASTE OF TRUE ADVERSITY'That's because going from the Rams, a Super Bowl contender, to the Browns, a team contending to finish last in the AFC North, is not going to immediately feel awesome. It's the proverbial trip from the penthouse to the outhouse."Yeah, it caught me by surprise," Verse continued. "I loved L.A. I loved the coaches, the organization, my teammates, everybody a part of it, the staff, the fans. You know, I loved the whole vibe of LA, Los Angeles, the Rams, and it was upsetting."This is a player who shows no weakness on the field being vulnerable in front of strangers.And there really should be no judgment here because we get it. We've seen it before.Jared Goff helped the Rams get to a Super Bowl in February of 2019. So he thought he was building a life with that team. But two years later, he was traded to the Detroit Lions for older, more accomplished Matthew Stafford.It's a blow to the ego.And like the Goff-Stafford deal, we're talking about going from Gucci leather belts to the Rust Belt. Because Cleveland is a nice town and all, but the weather doesn't compare with Los Angeles. And the vibe for a 25-year-old with a lot of money obviously isn't the same, either.RAMS ADDING MYLES GARRETT AS PART OF BLOCKBUSTER TRADE AND SUPER BOWL PUSH FOR 2026 SEASONThen there are the prospects for the coming season. Verse was mentally prepared to run it back with a good team until this trade. The Rams had a 12-5 record last season and reached the NFC Championship game. The Browns were 5-12 and reached for a coaching change.But a duty, one supposes, of being a professional athlete is understanding that your team is your workplace. It's your business, not your family.Many teams tell players they're in a family but when was the last time a family traded a son or brother?Verse gets that now."When you’re an athlete, you understand the nature of the business," he said. "Everybody does what they think is best for their business, and that’s the situation that I’m in. I’m happy to be a part of the Browns. I’m happy that they believed in me and they were able to make that trade and bring me here, be with my teammates, be with everybody here."And I truly do believe in everybody in the locker room.  But it was upsetting at first. But then you got two choices: You can either work or you can give up, and I ain’t never been a quitter."AARON DONALD MULLING COMING OUT OF RETIREMENT TO PLAY WITH MYLES GARRETT ON RAMSAn intriguing aspect of the Browns trading Myles Garrett for Verse, a first-round pick in 2027, a second-round pick in 2028 and a third-round pick in 2029 is that they held fast until the Rams added Verse to the deal. Until that point, the deal was a draft compensation exchange for Garrett that Cleveland wasn't necessarily wanting to make."I always told myself that if we were ever in a position where were going to trade Myles, three things would have to be true," Browns Executive Vice President and General Manager Andrew Berry said. "Number one, it would have to have short and long term benefits. Number two, as part of the trade, a young cost-control star at a premium position would have to be included. The third piece is that there would have to be premium draft capital."And there’s a very small set of deals that really satisfy those constraints. So, when it got to the point with our negotiations with the Rams, when all those things were satisfied, it really caused us to take a step back and really think about the decision."Jared Verse, he’s obviously a huge part of this return for us."This is good for Verse. He's on a team that wants him and is more closely aligned with his career arc. He's on his rookie contract through the 2027 season. And he's on a team that is building for a brighter future in perhaps two or three years.The Rams are in win-now mode. They're stacking their roster with high-priced veterans and two or three years from now might be in rebuilding mode.So maybe the move Verse didn't initially like could work in his better interest.FOLLOW ARMANDO SALGUERO ON X: @ARMANDOSALGUERO